A few minutes later Beck showed up with Carl by his side. Carl, in particular, was very anxious to hear about Dora’s condition. Upon seeing Bella standing in the corridor he rushed up to her only to come to a sudden halt due to Charles’s menacing presence. Carl stood there frozen, unsure about whether he should talk to Bella.
“And who may you be?” asked Charles. He was standing in such a way it blocked Carl’s view of Bella. To conceal his sense of embarrassment, Carl stuttered a few unintelligible syllables. Luckily, Beck came to the rescue.
“Please forgive him for his ignorance,” he said to Charles before turning to Carl. “This is Duke Charles crowned by the Queen of Vancouver Island.”
Carl gave a slight bow to show his respect. “I’m sorry if I have offended you, King of the Sea.”
“S
